Baby, it’s Cold Outside - December 27th, Thursday

Kurt got home from work carrying groceries bags with ingredients to cook dinner. He cheerfully announced his presence but got no answer back. He looked around and found it weird that Blaine wasn’t there. He tried hard not to concentrate on that while cooking, but it was impossible not to wonder where could he possibly be.

Blaine didn’t show up for the next hour or so. Kurt finished cooking and ate dinner by himself. He was beginning to really worry, but he decided not to call. Instead, he sat on the couch to try to let the TV distract his mind. However, as soon as he heard a key on the doorknob; he immediately got jumpy.

Blaine looked at Kurt and smile:

“Oh, you are already home.”

“Where were you? It’s getting late and I was worrying.”

Kurt didn’t want to sound like a possessive boyfriend, but now it was a little too late. Blaine seemed oblivious as he took off his snow-wet coat and boots:

“Sorry; I lost track of time seeing some carol singers. New York is so beautiful during Christmas.”

“No need to apologize; it’s just that this is not the safest neighborhood in the city. It’s not wise to hander around when it’s dark.”

Blaine didn’t know why Kurt was blushing but it definitively looked cute on him; he couldn’t help but smiling as he spoke:

“Good to know; I’ll keep an eye out.”

Sometimes Kurt hated his pale skin: this was one of that. Why did it have to make it so easy to see that he was hiding something? His thoughts only made him blush even stronger. Blaine was now looking at him and he tried to change the course of subject:

“I cooked dinner; there’s still some left if you are hungry.”

“Thank you. Maybe I’ll warm it later; I stopped for coffee on my way and ended up eating a muffing. I’m satisfied by now.”

“Tell me if you change your mind. Do you mind if I stay in the living-room? They announced that Rent will air in a few minutes and I wanted to watch it…”

“By all means Kurt, it’s still your living-room. Mind if I join you?”

Kurt was always caught off-guard by Blaine’s politeness. Even when they were boyfriends, Blaine was never completely at ease at Kurt’s place. Well, he guessed now things were just a little weirder with them being more awkward around each other. Blaine shyly sat on the other corner of the couch. He only turned to face Kurt when he heard his voice:

“Do you mind if I asked you what have you done today? Not trying to be nosy or anything; I’m just… curious.”

Blaine grinned:

“I went to the Metropolitan; it was amazing! I think I was the last one to live and I was feeling so good that I decided to see the how the city looks at night. Then I got so carried away by all the lights and the carol singers that I lost track of time.”

The way Blaine’s face was relaxed and happy as he told his day made Kurt smile back. Blaine caught him staring and stared back. After a few moments, Kurt felt it was too much and looked away:

“I… erm… Would you join me if I made popcorn?”

Blaine gave him his sexy close-mouthed smile and nodded: it was enough to make Kurt’s heart skip a beat. Soon, Kurt was back with the popcorn and two glasses of lemonade.

Blaine, who seemed to have made himself more comfortable at the couch, stiffed up as Kurt sat closer to him. He realized it was to make it easier for them to share the popcorn and tried to break the ice:

“Kurt? Are you sure you want to watch Rent?”

Kurt was puzzled by his friend’s last comment; was he trying to imply something? Was Blaine remembering that they saw it together one of the first times they went out?

“Of course I am. It’s one of my favorite musical; why wouldn’t I want to watch it?”

Kurt regretted asking the second the question was out of his lips. He was pretty sure he wasn’t ready to hear Blaine making a move on him and now he had just given him the perfect opportunity. To his relief, Blaine laughed:

“Because you will cry!”

Kurt sighed in relief:

“Oh that! Of course I’ll cry, but it will be good tears. I like sad things when they are beautiful.”

 “What do you thought I meant?”

“Nothing…”

Kurt bit his lip and looked down. Blaine couldn’t help but stare at him, but, as the firsts chords of “Seasons of Love” drove Kurt’s attention to the TV, so did Blaine. In terms, Blaine wasn’t paying full attention to the movie because watching Kurt was much more interesting.

Blaine was careful to not let Kurt notice he was looking. Kurt seemed to be absorbed by the movie and Blaine enjoyed seeing him mouthing Angel’s part during “I’ll Cover You”. Kurt eventually perceived Blaine’s eyes on him and blushed. Blaine then tried to pay attention to the movie.

Kurt couldn’t believe he let Blaine caught him singing along to the song that was the gay love anthem. Was Blaine watching him? Could he tell that Kurt had all those butterflies flying in his stomach? Kurt looked at his friend a few times to try to be sure but Blaine seemed to be caught by the movie.

Now that Kurt was suspicious, Blaine used all his forces to control himself not to look at him. However, at the precise scene he knew Kurt would cry; he turned to face him and was rewarded by a tear escaping the corner of Kurt’s eye. Blaine laughed out loud and clapped his hands:

“I knew it! We should have bet on it!”

Kurt elbowed him:

“Shut up! I never said I wouldn’t cry…”

Kurt turned back to the screen with a fake-offended pout while Blaine kept staring with the phantom of a smile still in his lips. Kurt looked at him again and threw him a cushion. Blaine caught it and held it against his chest while turning his attention back to the movie.

Both of them were looking at the TV as they reached at the same time for the popcorn. Their fingers intertwined. They looked from their tangled hands to each other’s eyes.  They kept the hold of both their eyes and their hands for a while until Blaine began leaning forward. Kurt cleared his throat:

“I… I’ll get more lemonade; do you want some?”

Blaine straightened himself up and shook his head. When Kurt got back, he sat at the opposite corner of the couch; as far from Blaine as possible.

When the movie ended, Kurt announced he was going to sleep. As he approached Blaine to give him a good-night hug; Blaine instinctively gave a peck on Kurt’s lips. They were both shocked after it happened. Blaine began to apologize:

“So sorry; Kurt. I’m not trying anything here; I swear. It’s just that old habits die hard.”

Kurt smiled at him:

“It’s okay; it was an innocent mistake.”

As Kurt left for his bedroom, Blaine lay grinning in the air-mattress. It had been innocent; but Blaine would never call it a mistake.